Austin driver’s ed startup gets $47 million in funding

The Austin, Texas-based startup Aceable that specializes in giving users driver’s education and defensive driving lessons through its app has garnered $47 million in funding. The Series B funding round was led by Connecticut investing firm.

“This funding will fuel the next inflection point in Aceable’s journey,” CEO Blake Garrett said in a news release. “This past year we were able to validate that our teaching methodology is head-and-shoulders above the competition.”

The app is available in California, Texas, Florida, Ohio, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Georgia and Oklahoma where it has been approved by each state.

“All states have their nuances about them,” Garrett said in a previous interview. “From there, it’s just building the best relationship possible with the person who, at the end of the day, has to stamp it. It’s being nice to people who aren’t used to people being nice to them.”

The company now boasts more than 550,000 students as its clientele base with a sizable hold on the Texas market especially. Going into the new year, Garrett said the company expects to hire hundreds of new employees at its Austin headquarters.